It is difficult to shortlist candidates only by looking at their educational qualifications and experience. Therefore, recruiting firms and HR professionals research the online profiles of the applicants before making a decision.
Social media is a place where you cannot pretend to be someone else. So, this is exactly what recruiters want when screening the social accounts of applicants.
Maintain a clean social image if you are a professional and want to get hired by a corporate firm. Use platforms like LinkedIn to build your professional image.
Most recruiters are active on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networking sites. So, a clean image can help you land a good job even if you are not actively seeking it. Keep reading to learn more about online reputation management for professionals!
What is Online Reputation Management (ORM)?
Online reputation management refers to the set of activities that you undertake to improve your online image. ORM for professionals includes ways to manage online reputations for job seekers, freelancers, and creators.
Professionals interested in finding new jobs or maintaining a consistent flow of jobs should worry about their online image. Similarly, established professionals should be concerned about maintaining an online reputation for success and growth.
The Importance of Online Reputation Management for job seekers
The corporate world has evolved rapidly in recent times. The importance of online reputation management for job seekers is evident on social platforms. Similarly, recruiters are also interested in learning more about a candidate before hiring them.
For instance, before hiring a social media marketer, HR would want to check their social accounts. It will give them an idea of their past work. Insights into their interests, hobbies, and opinions can be analyzed by screening their social media accounts.
Seeking a job is all about profile matching. The online reputation of job seekers also matters because of the huge competition in every field. If you want to sustain yourself in this competitive landscape, improve your online reputation.
You can also indulge in reputation management for professional growth. For example, if you are a freelance graphic designer looking for high-paying gigs, posting some of your previous work can get you enough gigs. However, if you do not maintain a professional tone while engaging with your clients, recruiters may see that as a red flag.
Online reputation management strategies for job seekers
It is easier said than done when it comes to online reputation management for graduates and job seekers. You must be consistent when it comes to creating a professional image. Hear what social media experts have to say about your social accounts. Take some expert advice and note down some online reputation management tips for job seekers.
A strong, creative, and elaborate social profile will create a positive impression on recruiters. It means that your chances of getting hired increase if you improve your online reputation. Here are some essential tips to manage your online reputation.
1. Assessing Your Current Online Presence
Building a solid online presence and a strong online reputation is your mission. Start your mission by assessing your current online presence. Try to make as many professional connections as you can. Follow the pages and accounts that can help you build a strong social network.
Engage in community posts and pages so that recruiters notice you. Simply raising a voice against malpractice or social injustice can increase your online visibility. Highlight scammers by creating alert posts. All these activities will enhance your social image and improve your chances of getting a well-paid job!
2. Cleaning Up Your Digital Footprint
Take all your social pages, accounts, and handles into account. Remove posts where you might have used foul language, obscene images, or vulgar videos. Delete posts that are religious and socio-political. You do not have any idea about the social, political, and religious views of the recruiter. So, cleaning up the digital footprint and maintaining a neutral approach can improve your chances of getting selected!
Online reputation management is not just about maintaining clean social media accounts and pages. Remember that everything you say is getting heard and analyzed at different levels. So, always maintain a decent stance and use polite language even while raising your voice against social evils.
3. Crafting A Professional Personal Brand
Crafting a professional personal brand requires some effort and skills. Established professionals and social media influencers hire a social media manager to improve their brand visibility. You can observe their pages and try to follow the same strategies to improve your social image and online visibility.
Use a professional tone while engaging with your clientele. Do not use slang or verbal abuse in your posts. Choose colors and images that can boost your online presence. Converse on trending topics and posts. You may also create your own professional website and link it to your social posts and accounts. Try to get the website domain in your name. It will improve your online reputation and presence seamlessly!
4. Leveraging Social Media Effectively
Social media can help you in multiple ways while seeking jobs. You can share your job posts on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and other social networking apps and sites. Make recruiters notice you by joining job communities and groups.
If you are a content writer, you can join content writing groups to get maximum exposure on a professional level. Similarly, other professionals can join their relevant professional groups.
Post content that positively shows your skills and knowledge. Do not shy away from showing your personality. Don’t be boastful about your accomplishments on social media.
Recruiters usually avoid professionals who always praise themselves. Instead, they focus on shoutouts and recommendations. So, you can request your friends and previous clients to give honest reviews about your work on social media.
5. Engaging In Thought Leadership
Posting useful and relevant content via social media is the best way of establishing your thought leadership. Curate posts in a manner that reflects your knowledge and skill set. Do not sound like you are selling something. Instead, make the audience believe you are a problem solver.
Share your own work experiences to help your connections. Be open-minded towards criticism and help newbies by guiding them professionally.
Post content that helps resolve common workplace issues. You can post content on how to maintain a work-life balance and similar topics. Share an experience where you helped a client and saved their millions! Such an approach would help you emerge as a thought leader in your domain.
6. Monitoring and Responding to Online Feedback
While maintaining an online reputation for career success, you will also come across negative opinions and feedback. Take criticism constructively and use it to improve your offerings and skills.
Monitor the mentions of your name through social listening tools and trackers. Any negative comment or post can spoil your online reputation. Do not use foul language even if your client has responded in a rude or argumentative way. Listen to clients carefully and offer to help them in whatever way you can.
Keep track of tags, mentions, and posts where your services are mentioned. You can pitch your services in posts that reflect negative sentiments about your industry. Emerge as a problem-solver and be a mediator whenever you can.
If a professional is complaining about a client you have previously worked with, listen to the complaints and take the initiative to solve the problem.
Avoid scandalous posts. Do not complain about someone or something on social media. It creates a negative image and employers think twice before hiring professionals who always whine and complain. It reflects their immature behavior and recruiters stay away from such people. Therefore, while following the tips to manage online reputation, be aware of these things.
7. Securing Your Privacy and Security
Be aware of your privacy rights. Use settings that optimize your security on social media apps and sites. For instance, you can allow only your connections to view your private posts and content. Set the right permissions when it comes to receiving tags.
Do not click on unknown links and sites while handling social media. It may create security issues, and someone may hack your profile. Beware of imposters. Scammers create fake profiles and try to use your name and identity while scamming people.
Use a social media tracker that keeps track of your fake profiles and accounts. Report those profiles and ask for them to be taken down immediately. Publish a post warning your connections about the fake profiles.
Share tips on how to stay away from imposters and scammers. It will not only educate your listeners but also make those fraudsters think twice before impersonating you!
8. Building a Strong LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn has emerged as the ideal platform for job seekers and professionals. HR agencies and recruiters seek this platform actively while hiring employees. A strong LinkedIn profile can be your way to explore big opportunities in your field.
LinkedIn allows you to add enough content to your profile. If you are a creative person, enable the creator mode. It allows you to use creative tools and content to attract recruiters.
There is also an option to add blogs and articles to the LinkedIn profile. You can use this section to establish your leadership in your industry. Share relevant posts and blogs to help your connections.
Do not forget to add an impressive cover photo on LinkedIn. If possible, mention the services you offer in your cover image.
9. Networking and Connecting With Professionals
Networking is an integral part of improving your online reputation. It improves your online presence and allows you to interact with more people and professionals.
Do not focus only on increasing your follower count. Engage with your connections and maintain a positive tone while interacting with them. Encourage newbies and try to maintain a professional relationship with your connections.
Try to make connections with established professionals in your field. Organize a meetup if you live in the same city. All these efforts will enhance your professional image in the industry.
10. Showcasing Your Achievements and Expertise
Showcasing your professional growth is also essential to maintaining an online reputation for career success. Express your opinions through blogs, videos, podcasts, and other means.
Share your knowledge and expertise on social media using images, charts, and infographics. This creates a positive impression on the readers and improves the engagement rate.
Create content that demonstrates your skills and knowledge. Share your achievements using an entertaining or humorous tone. It keeps audiences engaged and they may also share your post with their friends and connections!
Do not forget to acknowledge your colleagues and friends while posting about your recent accomplishments. Do not shy away from sharing even the smallest of your achievements.
For example, if you have completed a course that enhances your professional skills, post it. Your prospective clients may see it and connect instantly to discuss your working terms!
Sharing your achievements helps you land big career opportunities and improves your online reputation or professional image. So, do not think twice before sharing your next achievement!
11. Generating Positive Content
Maintaining a positive tone is a must while engaging via social media platforms. Also, you must share content that reflects your positive attitude and professionalism. Recruiters like to engage with professionals who are active on social media. On the other hand, they may refrain from connecting if you speak negatively about someone or something. So, you must think twice before commenting badly on any topic.
After creating a positive piece of content, maintain an engaging tone. It will encourage your connections and listeners to share their own experiences. All this will improve your online reputation.
12. Seeking Professional Help for Online Reputation Management
As a professional, you may not have sufficient time and resources to handle your online reputation management requirements. In such situations, it is better to seek professional help than to sit idle and spoil your professional image.
Sometimes, things may escalate quickly, and only a professional ORM agency or expert can help you overcome them.
Several platforms use social listening and AI to track your social image. You can use these tools and platforms to maintain a clean and consistent professional reputation.
Conclusion
These are some insightful online reputation management tips for job seekers. You can follow these tips and build a powerful and consistent professional reputation.
Konnect Insights is an all-in-one solution when it comes to reputation and crisis management. Through this platform, you can track all the conversations that are relevant to your profession. It helps you listen to what your clients say and also allows you to engage with them without any barriers!
Along with social listening and AI capabilities, Konnect Insights also offers social publishing tools, BI tools, and intuitive dashboards. Through its social publishing tools, you can schedule posts, publish them, and view them across all social channels. You can fine-tune your social media campaigns and posts using its creative asset library. Visit this platform today and learn how it can help improve your online reputation!
